Have you noticed the Kiasu attitude in Singaporeans? Have you wondered why there is so much unhealthy competition in Singapore? Have you thought of reason why students have so many tuitions?
The answer is simple – Singaporean’s “cannot lose” attitude. Taking a step further, let us analyze the reason for this attitude.
From my point of view, I feel that Singaporeans Kiasu-ism is bred by the Government’s education system which promotes competitiveness amongst students. We are forced to compete with others without actually knowing. Those who do not work hard and fall behind in their studies find that they are unable to go far in society. Why? This is because society favors people with higher educational qualification than those who are slightly lacking behind. Even getting 3As and 1B can be very bad for students who want to qualify for scholarships. And as we progress, we unknowingly turn this competiveness into a habit, where everything we do, whenever we do is a challenge to outwit the others.
Secondly, I also feel that Kiasu-ism is actually caused by our selfishness; we cannot admit or bow down to the fact that we have “lost” out to the other party. It is because of this mentality that leads to our bad habit. While this habit of ours may be a good thing, being too competitive may lead to lack of trust among Singaporeans. If we continue with this, Singaporeans will not be able to have the bond that other countries have.
One example of this can be in a MRT or a bus. How many times have you seen someone actually waiting for passengers to alight before boarding the MRT? Of course, there are always some considerate people who would do that, but most people still do not wait for the passengers to alight. In fact, the number of passengers who appears to be oblivious to those in need of seats in a crowed MRT or bus by pretending to be sleeping, reading, or listening to their MP3’s are alarming. All I can say of this attitude that Singaporeans have is that we Singaporeans tend to have that mindset of “nobody is good in this world, it’s one of yourself”. Indeed, this inconsiderate attitude is present in many Singaporeans, making them only do things that only benefit themselves. Many parents send their children to many tuitions so that they would score well, allowing them to compare with their friends about their child’s score.
In fact, a popular Singaporean cartoon character, Mr. Kiasu, was created by Johnny Lau; the CEO of Vasunas, a Singaporean animation technology company who published Mr. Kiasu book entitled “Everything also I want” in 1990. Mr. Kiasu is depicted as a person who jumps queues, hogs road, haggles for every cent, and, if confronted with a buffet table, piles his plate “uneatably” high. This clearly brings out the true kiasu attitude in Singaporeans by illustrating events that we usually see in our daily lives. For example, seeing people jump queues and piling his plate high in a buffet is abnormally normal.
However, one must realize that in this world, working alone will never bring you far. One must have the support of others to make it far in society. If someone is only concerned about himself and does not care about others, nobody will like him and will not support him, and this person will find himself unable to succeed as he have no one to help him in times of trouble. However, a person who cares for his friends will go far in society as they will help each other in times of need, eventually leading to their success.
Some say that Singaporean’s Kiasu-ism is what makes Singapore unique and special, an aspect that we should be proud to showcase to other countries – the culture and tradition of our country. Indeed, being kiasu is a unique trait of Singapore, but I do not think that it is something to be proud of or something that we want to be remembered for. Why can’t we be as generous as people of other countries? Why is it that most people in other countries give their seats to those in need of them while many people in Singapore turns a deaf ear to this? I think that there surely must be a problem. Although unique, this may bring about a bad image of Singapore to tourists who find themselves victims of such inconsiderate actions.
What is the point of being the country that has the lowest-crime rate or the safest country with the highest literacy rate if the people in Singapore do not have the proper upbringing to do even the simplest tasks like being courteous and generous?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Deteriorating interest and proficiency in second language
Nowadays, Singapore is slowly but surely losing its deep root of its Chinese culture and tradition. Singapore is slowly transforming from a country rich in Chinese tradition into a country whose people has little or no understanding on their root.
“Although the working language here is English, the country should still ensure that students of Chinese origin know their ancestor’s language, so as to have a deeper understanding on their root and Asian values” This was continuously stressed by Lee Hsien Loong on February 14 at the opening ceremony of the 10th “Chinese Culture Festival”.
English is used everywhere; when we communicate, when we work, etc. Everywhere we go, we usually hear people conversing in English. Hence, people tend to feel that English is much more important than Chinese. This leads on to students, the future leaders of our nation, into thinking that too.
Students are slowly losing interest in Chinese, and some even refuses to learn it. According to statistics from Singapore's ministry of education, 9.3 percent first year pupils of primary schools of Chinese origin used English at home in 1980, but the figure soared to 45 percent last year. There are actually quite a few reasons as to why students do not want to learn the language. Some flee from Chinese class because it’s too difficult while some say learning Chinese is of no value since putting efforts on this hard subject will not produce any economical results. For them, the mastery of English is a necessity to climb the social ladders, while speaking Chinese has by and by been shadowed into a symbol of failure. Some parents even tell their children to become an "elite in English" instead of a "master in Chinese". In a way, this is true as jobs that require proficiency in Chinese are not many, and these jobs are usually taken up by PRCs who come to Singapore.
However, I feel that Singaporeans are too overly concerned about the economical gains of jobs. Here are some things a typical Singaporean will want; a fixed and steady income, a “good” job and a happy family. I highlight the word “good” as I feel that there can be many different perceptions on the word “good”. Singaporeans feel that having a “good” job means having a job with high amounts of steady income, e.g. doctors, lawyers. However, many other people in other countries define “good” job as a job which they enjoy doing. I guess this cannot be helped, considering the competitive nature of Singapore’s educational system. However, no matter the circumstances or how crucial the need is to study English over Chinese, I feel that Singaporeans should not forget our deep roots and Asian values but continue to preserve the history and culture of our immigrant’s ancestors. If not, we can drift along with the tide and follow the latest trend or fashion in the world, but we will still be labeled as a rootless group with no sense of self-identification.
Imagine what would happen when someone asks a Singaporean about Singapore’s history and culture and the person is unable to give the correct answer? Just what kind of image of Singapore will be seen by tourists?
Hence, I really feel that Chinese is an important language for us to learn and understand and we should put in good effort into both English and Chinese. Although some may still argue that they do not have an interest in Chinese language, at the very least, they should be able to understand the history and culture of our immigrant’s ancestors.
“Although the working language here is English, the country should still ensure that students of Chinese origin know their ancestor’s language, so as to have a deeper understanding on their root and Asian values” This was continuously stressed by Lee Hsien Loong on February 14 at the opening ceremony of the 10th “Chinese Culture Festival”.
English is used everywhere; when we communicate, when we work, etc. Everywhere we go, we usually hear people conversing in English. Hence, people tend to feel that English is much more important than Chinese. This leads on to students, the future leaders of our nation, into thinking that too.
Students are slowly losing interest in Chinese, and some even refuses to learn it. According to statistics from Singapore's ministry of education, 9.3 percent first year pupils of primary schools of Chinese origin used English at home in 1980, but the figure soared to 45 percent last year. There are actually quite a few reasons as to why students do not want to learn the language. Some flee from Chinese class because it’s too difficult while some say learning Chinese is of no value since putting efforts on this hard subject will not produce any economical results. For them, the mastery of English is a necessity to climb the social ladders, while speaking Chinese has by and by been shadowed into a symbol of failure. Some parents even tell their children to become an "elite in English" instead of a "master in Chinese". In a way, this is true as jobs that require proficiency in Chinese are not many, and these jobs are usually taken up by PRCs who come to Singapore.
However, I feel that Singaporeans are too overly concerned about the economical gains of jobs. Here are some things a typical Singaporean will want; a fixed and steady income, a “good” job and a happy family. I highlight the word “good” as I feel that there can be many different perceptions on the word “good”. Singaporeans feel that having a “good” job means having a job with high amounts of steady income, e.g. doctors, lawyers. However, many other people in other countries define “good” job as a job which they enjoy doing. I guess this cannot be helped, considering the competitive nature of Singapore’s educational system. However, no matter the circumstances or how crucial the need is to study English over Chinese, I feel that Singaporeans should not forget our deep roots and Asian values but continue to preserve the history and culture of our immigrant’s ancestors. If not, we can drift along with the tide and follow the latest trend or fashion in the world, but we will still be labeled as a rootless group with no sense of self-identification.
Imagine what would happen when someone asks a Singaporean about Singapore’s history and culture and the person is unable to give the correct answer? Just what kind of image of Singapore will be seen by tourists?
Hence, I really feel that Chinese is an important language for us to learn and understand and we should put in good effort into both English and Chinese. Although some may still argue that they do not have an interest in Chinese language, at the very least, they should be able to understand the history and culture of our immigrant’s ancestors.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Majority V.S Minority
Majority V.S Minority
“Majority wins” is common heard in our daily lives all around us. To put it simply, it means that the majority will always win because everyone has the same mindset and is doing the same thing. Hence, there is always a misconception that the crowd is always right.
Well, most people like to follow others and be in the “big” group, as they feel that they are safe and secure by doing the same thing as everyone else. In a sense, this is actually true. Conforming to the crowd definitely gives you security as if you are wrong, it means the crowd is wrong, and everyone has to take the blame together. However, if you are in the minority and are proven wrong, you will have to shoulder the responsibility yourself and even face embarrassment by other people aka the crowd.
Let me give an example to illustrate my point. If your whole class is discriminating against one single person, you are most slightly going to side the class in discrimination your classmate rather than helping him out. Here, the class is the majority while that single student is the minority. Many and in fact most people will not help that single person mainly because of fear of being discriminated and laughed at too. Imagine siding with the single person and end up being scorned at by your friends. Who would ever want to choose being laughed at when another solution, an easy and straight-forward solution; siding with the majority, is available to them?
This is human nature. Nobody wants to be ostracized, nobody wants to be left out, nobody wants to be alone in taking the blame and definitely nobody wants to face the scorns and laughter from their friends. Thus, they turn to the most feasible solution – Following the majority; with the mindset that everything is fine as everyone else is doing the same thing.
At this juncture, I must point out that the crowd is not always wrong, in fact, it is usually correct. However, following the crowd blindly can result in regrets or disastrous consequences. I feel that there is little need to highlight the importance of choosing the right crowd. Almost everybody can differentiate between the “right crowd” and the “bad crowd”. One obvious example of a bad crowd is a group of gangsters which people may join due to their thirst for power and their hunger for a sense of security.
I feel that the most important thing that needs to be highlighted is the importance of knowing when to step out of the crowd and say “Change is needed”. This is usually the most difficult task that most people find it hard to do. In fact, I must admit that I have failed miserably in this aspect too. When someone is comfortably blended into society, why would he still stand up to be different, taking the risk of being scorned at? Most people would just continue with their normal lives, blending nicely into society. However, a leader will step out and raise his opinions and views, no matter the consequences. When a true leader feels that something needs to be questioned, he will raise his concern even though nobody is doing it. Leaders are those who step out of the crowd when they feel that something is not right and strive to make that change possible.
Successful leaders are not those who follow others and change their beliefs because of the majority’s opinion. A true leader believes in himself, in what he does, and ultimately, dares to step out to lead his friends and fellow people. This is usually what differentiates a leader between a follower. A follower lets others impose their views on them and accepts things at face value. They do not think critically as to whether things are right at the moment. However, having followers are equally important as without followers, who will these leaders lead?
I am not saying that we should not follow the crowd, but I am trying to say that we should know how to make our own critical decisions before choosing to follow the crowd. Before we do something, we must always think carefully about the implications before proceeding. Our opinions and views should not be interfered by peer pressure or by the majority. If we know that the majority is wrong, we should have the courage to step out of the majority into the minority and make a change happen. This is real courage, and one of the qualities that a true leader should have.
Hence, we can see the difference between the majority and minority and reasons for people who always follow the crowd. Both the majority and minority can be correct at times, and it is up to us to decide which one is right and to make our own crucial decisions.
“Majority wins” is common heard in our daily lives all around us. To put it simply, it means that the majority will always win because everyone has the same mindset and is doing the same thing. Hence, there is always a misconception that the crowd is always right.
Well, most people like to follow others and be in the “big” group, as they feel that they are safe and secure by doing the same thing as everyone else. In a sense, this is actually true. Conforming to the crowd definitely gives you security as if you are wrong, it means the crowd is wrong, and everyone has to take the blame together. However, if you are in the minority and are proven wrong, you will have to shoulder the responsibility yourself and even face embarrassment by other people aka the crowd.
Let me give an example to illustrate my point. If your whole class is discriminating against one single person, you are most slightly going to side the class in discrimination your classmate rather than helping him out. Here, the class is the majority while that single student is the minority. Many and in fact most people will not help that single person mainly because of fear of being discriminated and laughed at too. Imagine siding with the single person and end up being scorned at by your friends. Who would ever want to choose being laughed at when another solution, an easy and straight-forward solution; siding with the majority, is available to them?
This is human nature. Nobody wants to be ostracized, nobody wants to be left out, nobody wants to be alone in taking the blame and definitely nobody wants to face the scorns and laughter from their friends. Thus, they turn to the most feasible solution – Following the majority; with the mindset that everything is fine as everyone else is doing the same thing.
At this juncture, I must point out that the crowd is not always wrong, in fact, it is usually correct. However, following the crowd blindly can result in regrets or disastrous consequences. I feel that there is little need to highlight the importance of choosing the right crowd. Almost everybody can differentiate between the “right crowd” and the “bad crowd”. One obvious example of a bad crowd is a group of gangsters which people may join due to their thirst for power and their hunger for a sense of security.
I feel that the most important thing that needs to be highlighted is the importance of knowing when to step out of the crowd and say “Change is needed”. This is usually the most difficult task that most people find it hard to do. In fact, I must admit that I have failed miserably in this aspect too. When someone is comfortably blended into society, why would he still stand up to be different, taking the risk of being scorned at? Most people would just continue with their normal lives, blending nicely into society. However, a leader will step out and raise his opinions and views, no matter the consequences. When a true leader feels that something needs to be questioned, he will raise his concern even though nobody is doing it. Leaders are those who step out of the crowd when they feel that something is not right and strive to make that change possible.
Successful leaders are not those who follow others and change their beliefs because of the majority’s opinion. A true leader believes in himself, in what he does, and ultimately, dares to step out to lead his friends and fellow people. This is usually what differentiates a leader between a follower. A follower lets others impose their views on them and accepts things at face value. They do not think critically as to whether things are right at the moment. However, having followers are equally important as without followers, who will these leaders lead?
I am not saying that we should not follow the crowd, but I am trying to say that we should know how to make our own critical decisions before choosing to follow the crowd. Before we do something, we must always think carefully about the implications before proceeding. Our opinions and views should not be interfered by peer pressure or by the majority. If we know that the majority is wrong, we should have the courage to step out of the majority into the minority and make a change happen. This is real courage, and one of the qualities that a true leader should have.
Hence, we can see the difference between the majority and minority and reasons for people who always follow the crowd. Both the majority and minority can be correct at times, and it is up to us to decide which one is right and to make our own crucial decisions.
Monday, March 1, 2010
My Learning Profile
SO... According to the Birmingham Grid for Learning, it is said that I am music smart and intrapersonal, which means myself smart but I am not naturalistic. The others are all average. I think that this is quite reliable and accurate, given that I do play a musical instrument and that I know myself very well. Truth be told, I am a very independent(too independent) learner and I prefer to do things myself. Being independent is only good to a certain extent. Having the initiative to learn and expand my knowledge is good, but I feel that knowing how to work in a team is also essential in learning, and I certainly am going to work on this area. I feel that learning to work with others is something that we ought to know as we integrate into society. It is very important to be good in this area as the society as many different kinds of people who act differently. Hence, we must know how to interact, to work with them, to produce good results. Knowing how to work with other people and interact with them is actually being people smart. I feel that this is very important and leaders all around the world all knows how to be people smart and appeal to their people. Being people smart is definitely one of the many aspects that a true leader should have.
Well, now on to talk about my not so good side of me. According to the results once again, I am not a nature-lover and this is quite accurate. Although I am not a nature lover, it does not mean I will just stand there and watch people plucking out flowers from the Botanical Garden. I will do my part to ensure that Singapore is still a clean and green environment. However, I will not go so far as to be a gardener in the future. I do not think much about nature, apart from understand how trees give out oxygen and take in carbon dioxide and how helpful that is to humans. Well, the point is, I am not naturalistic.
After explaining the importance of a few of the aspects that I am lacking in, it clearly shows that i have may areas to work on. (obviously). Hence, no matter how cliché this may sound, now that I have found the areas that I am lacking in, I will focus on that area and work on in and improve on that area.
Well, now on to talk about my not so good side of me. According to the results once again, I am not a nature-lover and this is quite accurate. Although I am not a nature lover, it does not mean I will just stand there and watch people plucking out flowers from the Botanical Garden. I will do my part to ensure that Singapore is still a clean and green environment. However, I will not go so far as to be a gardener in the future. I do not think much about nature, apart from understand how trees give out oxygen and take in carbon dioxide and how helpful that is to humans. Well, the point is, I am not naturalistic.
After explaining the importance of a few of the aspects that I am lacking in, it clearly shows that i have may areas to work on. (obviously). Hence, no matter how cliché this may sound, now that I have found the areas that I am lacking in, I will focus on that area and work on in and improve on that area.
Diary entry of a major character in To Kill A Mocking Bird
Diary entry by Jem
Night after the trial verdict
Diary entry
It ain’t right. It ain’t right! This is not supposed to happen! How could they? How could they do this? The outcome was so obvious… all the evidence… how could they?? Why did it turn out this way? Why!?
Dear diary, I cannot describe what I am feeling now, the anger… the frustration...the confusion… the bitterness... All these emotions are all screaming at me now. I feel lost, lost in this world of evil and confusion… How could the jury make such a heartless verdict? How could they bring themselves to condemn someone when they knew he is innocent? How could they?? Is everyone in this world really that bad? I don’t understand… I just can’t get it…
I had always wanted to be a lawyer, just like Atticus, to be like him… But now, seeing what has happened, seeing that justice and solid evidence cannot triumph the evils of the world, what is the point of being a lawyer? What is the point of it if nothing gets done? What is the point of this if it is the evil who wins in the end??
I am confused… confused by the many evil ways of the world. I just can’t bring myself to comprehend the reasons for such heartless acts. What is the difference between us and the blacks, apart from the fact that they are black in colour? Hasn’t Atticus always said that all men are equal, and that all men, black or white should be given equal rights and freedom? Then what is this? What is this going on? Why is our community split into two like 2 shores separated by an ocean? Why are the blacks so unjustly ruled just because of their skin colour?
After today’s incident, words cannot describe the emotions I am experiencing now. My anger, my frustration… I just cannot describe it. I so wish that this world can become a better place, where I can live together peacefully with Atticus without having to be called “nigger-lovers” and “trash”. Why is this world like that? Why is this world filled with such hatred, contempt, and discrimination that it is tainted so black that it almost cannot be seen? Why…
How I wish that this world will become peaceful and that everyone will live together happily…
Goodnight, Diary.
In the above diary entry that I have written from the point of view of Jem, I made used of many rhetorical questions to emphasize Jem’s complex emotions; anger, frustration, confusion, and sadness. After the trial, Jem was very upset about the outcome of the trial; Tom Robinson being charged. He could not bring himself to accept this fact, this fact that the world was such an evil place. Hence, when I wrote the diary in his point of view, I added a lot of emotive language to try to express what Jem might have been experiencing at that time.
Night after the trial verdict
Diary entry
It ain’t right. It ain’t right! This is not supposed to happen! How could they? How could they do this? The outcome was so obvious… all the evidence… how could they?? Why did it turn out this way? Why!?
Dear diary, I cannot describe what I am feeling now, the anger… the frustration...the confusion… the bitterness... All these emotions are all screaming at me now. I feel lost, lost in this world of evil and confusion… How could the jury make such a heartless verdict? How could they bring themselves to condemn someone when they knew he is innocent? How could they?? Is everyone in this world really that bad? I don’t understand… I just can’t get it…
I had always wanted to be a lawyer, just like Atticus, to be like him… But now, seeing what has happened, seeing that justice and solid evidence cannot triumph the evils of the world, what is the point of being a lawyer? What is the point of it if nothing gets done? What is the point of this if it is the evil who wins in the end??
I am confused… confused by the many evil ways of the world. I just can’t bring myself to comprehend the reasons for such heartless acts. What is the difference between us and the blacks, apart from the fact that they are black in colour? Hasn’t Atticus always said that all men are equal, and that all men, black or white should be given equal rights and freedom? Then what is this? What is this going on? Why is our community split into two like 2 shores separated by an ocean? Why are the blacks so unjustly ruled just because of their skin colour?
After today’s incident, words cannot describe the emotions I am experiencing now. My anger, my frustration… I just cannot describe it. I so wish that this world can become a better place, where I can live together peacefully with Atticus without having to be called “nigger-lovers” and “trash”. Why is this world like that? Why is this world filled with such hatred, contempt, and discrimination that it is tainted so black that it almost cannot be seen? Why…
How I wish that this world will become peaceful and that everyone will live together happily…
Goodnight, Diary.
In the above diary entry that I have written from the point of view of Jem, I made used of many rhetorical questions to emphasize Jem’s complex emotions; anger, frustration, confusion, and sadness. After the trial, Jem was very upset about the outcome of the trial; Tom Robinson being charged. He could not bring himself to accept this fact, this fact that the world was such an evil place. Hence, when I wrote the diary in his point of view, I added a lot of emotive language to try to express what Jem might have been experiencing at that time.
Interview with a family member on their view on prejudice and dsicrimination
This is an interview conducted by me with my father’s view on prejudice and discrimination. Before I show the interview transcript, I would like to write them my personal feelings of this issue.
I personally feel that having prejudice against someone without actually really knowing him is a really hateful act. I mean, think about it. The person who is discriminated against is being judged by something that is totally not under his control. For example, some people are discriminated because they are blacks while women are being discriminated in some parts of the world. Can these people control their race, their gender, their colour? I think that everyone should have an equal view on things. Even if we start to accuse people, we should be very sure about our facts and base our accusation on something that is under the person’s control. It is totally not fair to judge someone because of their colour or gender or the way they are.
Interview transcript
Interviewer: What do you think is prejudice and discrimination and how do you feel about them?
Interviewee: I think that prejudice is having an unreasonable bias against something and discrimination is treating someone better than another without good reason.
Interviewer: Have you noticed any forms of prejudice or discrimination in Singapore?
Interviewee: Yes.
Interviewer: Ok, in that case, can you describe some of these prejudices and discriminations?
Interviewee: Well, the Singaporeans’ prejudice against PRCs is an example because Singaporeans think that the foreigners are taking away their jobs and are uncouth. Another example could be the prejudice against women in business and government; that women cannot take up responsibility and leadership in the country. An example of discrimination is where rich people are treated better because they have influence and money; hence people give them better treatment and service.
Interviewer: Have you ever experienced prejudiced or discriminations before? Elaborate.
Interviewee: Yes. When I was studying in Australia, the lecturers seem to favor the Australians students more than Asian students. We felt that there was a prejudice against Asian students because the Australians felt threatened by the influx of immigrants into their country. Due to their prejudice, Asian students seem to be discriminated against by not being able to enroll in popular courses that they are interested in where there are limited places.
Interviewer: How did you feel and react to it?
Interviewee: Angry, of course, and unjustified, but we decided that it is best handled by working hard to prove to them that we are equally good, if not better than the Australians.
Interviewer: What do you think can be done about this?
Interviewee: I think that one of the things that can be done to eradicate prejudice and discrimination is through education. This is done by letting people understand that all humans are equal and should be treated equally. Furthermore, this is a moral principle that all should abide to
Interviewer: Do you think that discrimination is justified?
Interviewee: Of course not. I detest it as it creates unfair competition and usually deprives deserving people of their rights.
Interviewer: Thank you
I personally feel that having prejudice against someone without actually really knowing him is a really hateful act. I mean, think about it. The person who is discriminated against is being judged by something that is totally not under his control. For example, some people are discriminated because they are blacks while women are being discriminated in some parts of the world. Can these people control their race, their gender, their colour? I think that everyone should have an equal view on things. Even if we start to accuse people, we should be very sure about our facts and base our accusation on something that is under the person’s control. It is totally not fair to judge someone because of their colour or gender or the way they are.
Interview transcript
Interviewer: What do you think is prejudice and discrimination and how do you feel about them?
Interviewee: I think that prejudice is having an unreasonable bias against something and discrimination is treating someone better than another without good reason.
Interviewer: Have you noticed any forms of prejudice or discrimination in Singapore?
Interviewee: Yes.
Interviewer: Ok, in that case, can you describe some of these prejudices and discriminations?
Interviewee: Well, the Singaporeans’ prejudice against PRCs is an example because Singaporeans think that the foreigners are taking away their jobs and are uncouth. Another example could be the prejudice against women in business and government; that women cannot take up responsibility and leadership in the country. An example of discrimination is where rich people are treated better because they have influence and money; hence people give them better treatment and service.
Interviewer: Have you ever experienced prejudiced or discriminations before? Elaborate.
Interviewee: Yes. When I was studying in Australia, the lecturers seem to favor the Australians students more than Asian students. We felt that there was a prejudice against Asian students because the Australians felt threatened by the influx of immigrants into their country. Due to their prejudice, Asian students seem to be discriminated against by not being able to enroll in popular courses that they are interested in where there are limited places.
Interviewer: How did you feel and react to it?
Interviewee: Angry, of course, and unjustified, but we decided that it is best handled by working hard to prove to them that we are equally good, if not better than the Australians.
Interviewer: What do you think can be done about this?
Interviewee: I think that one of the things that can be done to eradicate prejudice and discrimination is through education. This is done by letting people understand that all humans are equal and should be treated equally. Furthermore, this is a moral principle that all should abide to
Interviewer: Do you think that discrimination is justified?
Interviewee: Of course not. I detest it as it creates unfair competition and usually deprives deserving people of their rights.
Interviewer: Thank you
Resort World Sentosa -- The Casino
Is Resort World Sentosa your hope to get your millions?
In its first full week of operation, the casino itself had more than 149,000 people, despite having opened only half of its 530 gambling tables and 1300 slot machines on Day one. The response from the people has been overwhelming, which can be seen when RWS’s four hotels, with a total of 1350 rooms, were fully booked until the end of Chinese New Year. People are flocking down to the casinos to place their bets and business in RWS has almost double since the opening of the casino.
Many people patronize the casino, often hoping that they would strike it big. Some condemn the building of a casino in Singapore while others support the idea of a casino in Singapore. Why is this so? There are many ways to view the construction of a casino in Singapore. Everything has pros and cons, and it is the same for this issue. The advantages of a casino in Singapore are plentiful, but the disadvantages of it can be disastrous.
The casino was built for a few reasons, mainly to boost Singapore’s economical growth. Obviously, building a casino is a splendid way of generating profits and attracting tourists. First and foremost, building a casino in Singapore means more job opportunities for those who are jobless. This means that some 20,000 jobless people can now apply for jobs and support their families. This is extremely crucial and important, especially when everyone is trying to recover from the economical downturn in 2009.
Secondly, a casino will attract more tourists to Singapore, increasing the tourism rate. When more tourists come to visit Singapore, the profits Singapore gain also increases. Moreover, Singapore is a country which depends on profits earned by tourism to survive; hence attracting more people to Singapore is a crucial step which Singapore has to take. Statistics show that this casino had been a total success, where it had been full-house at restaurants and some had even run out of food. Business in many stores had more than doubled since the casino opened.
The construction of the casino indeed has many advantages. However, we must also look at the other side of the issue, which is the social impact of the casino.
A casino can help generate profit, but at the expense of many social problems which may lead to drastic consequences. Those who condemn the construction of the casino often argue that people may become addicted to gambling, leading to a series of drastic consequences. For example, avid gamblers will not stop gambling but continue to do so, thinking that the government had supported them by building the casino. Many people may also be influenced to take on the habit of gambling, resulting in being addicted to it. Moreover, addicts who are trying to curb the habit will find it hard to reform and stop their habit due to easy access to a casino. This may cause a chain reaction, causing many problems difficulties.
With more people addicted to gambling, the number of people who gets into debt becomes higher. Who do these people turn to then? More often than not, these desperate people would turn to the short-term solution – borrowing from loan sharks. Hence, the crime rate in Singapore will increase. One of the important points that attract tourists to Singapore is the low crime rate that Singapore is proud to boast about. Thus, if the crime rate in Singapore increases, lesser tourists will visit Singapore, which is contrary to our intended outcome.
Furthermore, the younger generation may be affected by this too.
Imagine what would happen if all of us gets addicted to gambling. What would happen to our country? What would happen to our people, our children?
“It was just a matter of fun, to hang out with my friends” and “The more I lost, the more I wanted to reclaim them”, says Jonny W., who lost almost everything to a gambling addiction — his wife, his money, and the life he once knew.
This clearly shows how addictive gambling can become, hence, if the younger generation were to get addicted, the future of Singapore will be in the hands of corrupted people.
Well, it would be unfair to say that Singapore has not done anything to try and prevent these social problems. Until now, Singapore has implemented a few policies; the casino exclusion orders, where worried family members can keep their family members away from the casinos, or when people want to keep themselves away from temptation. This can help control people from gambling excessively. However, it is also important to note that family exclusion orders has spiked recently, which means that more and more people are becoming addicted to gambling.
Furthermore, Singaporeans and PRs are now subjected to a number of restrictions, including having to pay a one-day entry levy of $100 or an annual pass of $2000. This will make potential gamblers think twice before entering the casino. However, since foreigners are not subjected to this restriction, many of them, especially low-income foreign workers, swarm up to the casino hoping to earn more money. This is because their income is low and they think that by going to the casino, there may be a chance that they may strike it big.
After weighing out the pros and cons of this issue, I personally feel that the construction of the casino is necessarily evil. It is important to attract tourists to Singapore and having a casino is the fastest way to attract them. Although some may argue that the social problems have to take precedence over the economic growth of Singapore, I believe that if the government knows how to deal with the problem and implements more policies to help curb the social problems, Singapore will continue to strive.
In its first full week of operation, the casino itself had more than 149,000 people, despite having opened only half of its 530 gambling tables and 1300 slot machines on Day one. The response from the people has been overwhelming, which can be seen when RWS’s four hotels, with a total of 1350 rooms, were fully booked until the end of Chinese New Year. People are flocking down to the casinos to place their bets and business in RWS has almost double since the opening of the casino.
Many people patronize the casino, often hoping that they would strike it big. Some condemn the building of a casino in Singapore while others support the idea of a casino in Singapore. Why is this so? There are many ways to view the construction of a casino in Singapore. Everything has pros and cons, and it is the same for this issue. The advantages of a casino in Singapore are plentiful, but the disadvantages of it can be disastrous.
The casino was built for a few reasons, mainly to boost Singapore’s economical growth. Obviously, building a casino is a splendid way of generating profits and attracting tourists. First and foremost, building a casino in Singapore means more job opportunities for those who are jobless. This means that some 20,000 jobless people can now apply for jobs and support their families. This is extremely crucial and important, especially when everyone is trying to recover from the economical downturn in 2009.
Secondly, a casino will attract more tourists to Singapore, increasing the tourism rate. When more tourists come to visit Singapore, the profits Singapore gain also increases. Moreover, Singapore is a country which depends on profits earned by tourism to survive; hence attracting more people to Singapore is a crucial step which Singapore has to take. Statistics show that this casino had been a total success, where it had been full-house at restaurants and some had even run out of food. Business in many stores had more than doubled since the casino opened.
The construction of the casino indeed has many advantages. However, we must also look at the other side of the issue, which is the social impact of the casino.
A casino can help generate profit, but at the expense of many social problems which may lead to drastic consequences. Those who condemn the construction of the casino often argue that people may become addicted to gambling, leading to a series of drastic consequences. For example, avid gamblers will not stop gambling but continue to do so, thinking that the government had supported them by building the casino. Many people may also be influenced to take on the habit of gambling, resulting in being addicted to it. Moreover, addicts who are trying to curb the habit will find it hard to reform and stop their habit due to easy access to a casino. This may cause a chain reaction, causing many problems difficulties.
With more people addicted to gambling, the number of people who gets into debt becomes higher. Who do these people turn to then? More often than not, these desperate people would turn to the short-term solution – borrowing from loan sharks. Hence, the crime rate in Singapore will increase. One of the important points that attract tourists to Singapore is the low crime rate that Singapore is proud to boast about. Thus, if the crime rate in Singapore increases, lesser tourists will visit Singapore, which is contrary to our intended outcome.
Furthermore, the younger generation may be affected by this too.
Imagine what would happen if all of us gets addicted to gambling. What would happen to our country? What would happen to our people, our children?
“It was just a matter of fun, to hang out with my friends” and “The more I lost, the more I wanted to reclaim them”, says Jonny W., who lost almost everything to a gambling addiction — his wife, his money, and the life he once knew.
This clearly shows how addictive gambling can become, hence, if the younger generation were to get addicted, the future of Singapore will be in the hands of corrupted people.
Well, it would be unfair to say that Singapore has not done anything to try and prevent these social problems. Until now, Singapore has implemented a few policies; the casino exclusion orders, where worried family members can keep their family members away from the casinos, or when people want to keep themselves away from temptation. This can help control people from gambling excessively. However, it is also important to note that family exclusion orders has spiked recently, which means that more and more people are becoming addicted to gambling.
Furthermore, Singaporeans and PRs are now subjected to a number of restrictions, including having to pay a one-day entry levy of $100 or an annual pass of $2000. This will make potential gamblers think twice before entering the casino. However, since foreigners are not subjected to this restriction, many of them, especially low-income foreign workers, swarm up to the casino hoping to earn more money. This is because their income is low and they think that by going to the casino, there may be a chance that they may strike it big.
After weighing out the pros and cons of this issue, I personally feel that the construction of the casino is necessarily evil. It is important to attract tourists to Singapore and having a casino is the fastest way to attract them. Although some may argue that the social problems have to take precedence over the economic growth of Singapore, I believe that if the government knows how to deal with the problem and implements more policies to help curb the social problems, Singapore will continue to strive.
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